The government, and its energetic Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha in particular, were widely hailed for the initial arrests and confiscation of the haul of estimated 100 kg gold that was being smuggled into the country through the Tribhuvan International Airport on July 18. Yet with the passage of time, more and more questions are being raised over the investigation and the government’s role in it. The main opposition, CPN-UML, has been insistent that only a high-level investigative body can probe powerful ministers and politicians whom it suspects to be involved in the scam. Now even senior Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has broken with his party’s ranks and made the same demand. One big reason for increasing doubt over the intent of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Home Minister Shrestha concerns yet another case of gold smuggling from last year.

On December 25 last year, a Chinese national had smuggled into the country 9 kg of gold by stuffing the yellow metal inside electronic cigarettes. TIA customs had seized the consignment as suspicious. The e-cigarettes concealing gold thus remained in the airport godowns for the next month and half before they were again smuggled out of storage with the help of customs officials. After airport customs initially seized the e-cigarettes on December 25, former Speaker and senior Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara and his son Rahul had repeatedly tried to get airport authorities to release the confiscated consignment. The two had talked to members of the smuggling gang hundreds of times over the phone. This much has been established in an investigation of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepali Police.

The police even arrested those who sold the smuggled gold and filed a case against them in the Special Court, while also mentioning the names of Mahara and his son in the filing. Astonishingly, a month later, the police are yet to question the Mahara duo on the case. Prime Minister and other government representatives blame the UML for trying to obstruct police investigation into the latest 100 kg gold smuggling. Perhaps there is some truth to the allegation. But if the government machinery is seen to be protecting political leaders and their relatives whose involvement in a serious crime has been established, the government, frankly, sounds like a hypocrite.

Whether the latest gold smuggling warrants high-level investigation is a separate matter. But if the government is to retain a shred of credibility, it must immediately start looking into the involvement of the Mahara duo in the earlier smuggling case. The current stand of the police that the investigation into the 9 kg gold smuggling case continues and people should not expect results overnight sounds less and less credible. There cannot be two standards in the treatment of two similar cases. The longer the government and its agencies hesitate to start investigating the Mahara duo, the more credible the opposition’s charge that everyone from the prime minister down might be involved will sound. Prime Minister Dahal may not have much time to act before the image of his government is irreparably damaged.